Pam Moore's Blog, page 15

The year’s almost over. Now is a great time to review the year behind us. I don’t know about you, but I’m asking myself what worked, what didn’t, and how I can use this information to make next year better…. I could write a whole entire post about that. And I will. But for now, let’s talk about fitness.

You want to be fit, right? Me, too.

But if you tell me, “This year I’m going to get in shape!” I will tell you I see a year that’s just like any other year in your future. I don’t have a crystal ball. All I have is a Magic Eight Ball, along with a 20+ year history as a runner, six marathons, two ironman triathlons, a gazillion other races, a lot of mistakes, and a few successes under my belt.

So, I know a few things.

I know that you should not binge on Cool Whip, Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, and peanut butter, and immediately hit the pool for a hard workout. (Even if you have a raging case of PMS. Just trust me on this one.) I know that you should never, ever, do an open water swim or a long bike ride close to dusk if there’s even the slightest chance you will get lost.  You should think about weaning your nursing baby off of the mid-morning feeding that happens at exactly the same time as the last three miles of a half marathon sometime before race day.

And I know that you will never reach your fitness goals if they are not specific and measurable. Here’s everything you need to know to set goals and reach them this year. The good news is, setting the right goals is easy and free. The bad news is, it probably doesn’t involve Cool Whip. Actually, that could be good news.

1) Choose an objective, measureable goal

If your goal is Be a better runner, do not pass go. If you strive to lose weight, do not pass go. If your goal sounds similarly vague Do Not Pass Go! If your goal is not objective and measurable, how will you know when you’ve accomplished it? Answer: You won’t. Worse, you will not have any way of knowing whether you’re on track toward meeting it. Examples of objective, measurable goals:

-Lose ten pounds.

-Run a four-hour marathon.

-Do a set of 50 pushups.

These goals include numbers, and they are not subjective. Either you have met them or you haven’t.

2) Give yourself a deadline

Choose a date- any date. It could be December 31st, it could be the day of your wedding, or it could be your baby’s first birthday. Maybe your target date is the day of the race or event you are training for. I don’t care if it’s National Mustard Day. Just pick a specific date on or by which you plan to meet your goal.

Examples include:

-I will finish the swim portion of the local sprint triathlon on July 1st in under 15 minutes

-I will complete 100 pushups in a row by November 1st

-I will be back to my pre-pregnancy weight on or before Dec 31st

3) Set smaller, manageable short-term goals

If you want to run a marathon, you need to gradually increase your weekly mileage and the distance of your longest run in order to prepare your body for the challenge. Similarly, if you want to lose 20 pounds by May, you should plan to lose five pounds a month every month until then. If you want to win a regional cross fit competition, first set a goal of winning your gym’s competition two months. Breaking your goal down into smaller chunks serves several purposes: It provides motivation for your journey toward your long-term goal. Striving toward smaller, less intimidating achievements helps prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by your long-term goal. Additionally, your ability to achieve your short-term goals will give you objective feedback to determine whether you are on track to meet your overarching goal, and allow you ample time to try a different approach, if you discover that what you are doing is not working.

4) Create a plan

How do you plan to reach your goal? Simply wanting it is not enough. Once you’ve determined your goal, when you will achieve it by, and what short-term goals you need to reach on the way, you will need to determine what you must do in order to make it happen. What do you need to do each month, each week, and each day to get you to your goal? If you need to do specific workouts, schedule them as you would any other appointment. If you need to eat a certain number of calories, find a way to track them, whether on paper, in a note in your phone, or via an app. If you’re not sure how to get where you want to be, consider hiring a professional, such as a coach or a dietician.

My goal is to be injury-free and to complete a half marathon in 1:45 if I do a local race at altitude, or in 1:42 at sea level by the end of 2016. I haven’t put a race on the calendar because injuries won’t leave me alone! I’d take a random piece of dog shit stuck in the sole of my sneaker any day over running injuries. For now, I’m working on my core, as I am suspicious that despite physical therapy, self-massage, chiropractic, and stretching, and lots of single leg squats, my sad, weak core is the source of my issues.  I have my second pregnancy to thank for that. To strengthen my core, I will attend Dailey Method classes three to five times per week from now through January 21st. (After attending a couple of freebie classes, I decided to go for it! I signed up for the first month at a low introductory rate, which grants you unlimited classes. I started today at 6am.) Depending how this month goes, I will develop another, specific goal for February. I can’t map out the half marathon plan until I can at least run 20 miles per week pain-free for a month.

If you remember one thing when you think about your fitness goal this year, remember this: A goal without a number, a date, benchmarks for success, and a plan is just an idea. Attainable, motivating goals are ones that you can objectively measure. And if your goal is to eat one tub of Cool Whip per week, every week, I suppose that’s fine. Whatever you do, don’t set out to eat more Cool Whip.

What are your goals this year? How are you going to get there? 

A version of this post originally appeared on Social Butterfly Mom. 

The post Workout Wednesday: Why You Aren’t Fit (and How to Change That in 4 Simple Steps!) appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

I don’t care about Star Wars. It’s not because I’m a communist (it sounds ok, in theory), or a feminist (although I am one), or a pacifist (I try to be but I yell too much). It’s just that I’ve never been much of a movie person and I’m not into space or war. Certainly, I have a few movies memorized- like Back To The Future, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Clueless, True Romance, and Reality Bites– but that’s less a function of my love for film (I’d rather read a book), and more a function of having owned them on VHS. Therefore, I watched them more times than any human should ever watch a movie.

My freshman year of college, my dreamy R.A. arranged a dorm outing to see the release of whatever part of Star Wars was released in 1997. I went because everyone else was going. It was as legitimate a motivation as any, as far as my younger self was concerned. I’m sure my warm feelings toward movie popcorn and the R.A. played played a part, too. After the movie, everyone said they loved it. I didn’t say much. I was trying to navigate the murky social stratosphere of college, and instinct told me not to stand out. I spent most of my Friday nights pretending to like cheap beer and drinking way too much of it, in an attempt to get the attention of boys I thought I was supposed to care about.

I wish I could tell my 18 year-old self to forget about Star Wars and stay home. I would have told her not to walk to any frat parties in the freezing cold without a coat (because if you had a coat you had to find a place to put said coat once you got to the party, so we didn’t wear coats to parties, ever). I would have told her to catch up on sleep, read a good book, stop procrastinating the laundry, invite a friend out for frozen yogurt, or go to one of those cool events that always looked interesting in the school paper, but that I never actually attended.

Since I can’t have a chat with my 18 year-old self, I’ve made a list of things I’d rather do than watch the Star Wars movie this time around.

1. Encourage my husband to go. Mentally note this occasion. Do not forget to remind him of it when necessary.

2. Finish our 2014 Family Photo Album. (That’s not a typo.)

3. Sleep. Like go to sleep ridiculously early. (How is it that I so rarely take advantage of something that is both rejuvenating and free?)

4. Read any of the books I have piled on my bookshelf, including

Better Than Before

The Moth (I have been in the middle of this one for over a year. That’s embarrassing.)

To Kill A Mockingbird (I read it in sixth grade, I meant to re-read for book club, and still want to re-read just because.)

Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot. (Sometimes I just want to read the equivalent of a rom-com.)

Big Magic

Hanson’s Half Marathon Method

5. Vacuum the basement. This one speaks just as much to the sorry state of the basement floor as it does to my ambivalence toward Star Wars.

6. Organize my sock drawer. There is something deeply satisfying about tosssing the orphans and starting fresh with a drawerful of matched pairs.

7. Watch an episode or three of Parenthood while eating popcorn sprinkled generously with nutritional yeast, drinking Good Earth  tea, and wearing flannel pajamas.

8. Write a letter to my pen pal. (Seriously, I have a pen pal. She is awesome. I had an essay about our friendship published in this anthology).

9. Drink a glass of wine or two. Then, send a press release about my book to a few more people. This is more scary than you think. Hence the wine.

10. See Sisters. I don’t understand how a movie about fake stuff can compete with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

The post I Don’t Care About Star Wars appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

If you only have time to read one sentence of this blog post, let it be this: I tried The Dailey Method (or TDM) for the first time and I am definitely going back.

But since brief isn’t my thing, let me fill you in on the dets if you have time…

Lately, I have been hearing about bar (barre?) classes every time I turn around. One friend swears by Pure Barre. She said she loves it so much that she is in danger of blowing her budget on clothing, now that everything looks so good on her bangin’ body. Another friend credits Pure Barre and Bar Method with relieving her chronic back pain. My favorite prenatal yoga teacher credited the Bar Method with healing her diastasis recti.(Let there be no confusion. I mean my prenatal yoga teacher from when I was pregnant in the past. I am very much enjoying not being pregnant or nursing for the first time since 2011). A diastasis recti is when your abdominal wall separates down the middle, almost like a hoodie unzipping. That’s the clinical term. This sometimes happens because of pregnancy, which was the case for me.

Since I had Lady Bug, I’ve tried various approaches to healing my diastasis recti and strengthening my core. That process deserves its own post, but to sum up, I tried pilates (both group classes and private lessons). I saw two different physical therapists, one of who wasn’t so helpful, and one of whom was a lifesaver. About eight months ago, I got the green light from the awesome PT for normal core exercises, with a few restrictions.

Lately, I’ve been doing planks and pushups, but not as consistently as I should be. I’ve also been running about three to four miles three to five times per week, since September-ish. Every time I’ve increased my mileage, some lurking injury came out of the shadows, forcing me to back the mileage down again. Just when I thought I was in the clear and ran a fabulous 5k on Thanksgiving Day, I found myself thwarted yet again. Since then, I’ve had a nagging pain in my right glute that even an intense dry needling session with my physical therapist could not touch.

I have a sneaking suspicion that all the injuries that have been popping up since Lady Bug was born a year and a half ago are the result of a weak core. So, when I found out that our local Athleta store was hosting a free Dailey Method class, I decided to try it. Here’s a review of my first class.

What it was: A mix of yoga, pilates, and stretching, with fun music. There was a huge emphasis on spinal alignment and engagement of the core, whether we were doing squats, upper body work with a resistance band, or planks. From The Daily Method website:

It’s simple, but revolutionary. Proper alignment radiates outward from the spine, bringing balance. When we start with alignment the muscles engage in their correct positions, elongating, contracting, strengthening. Other workouts focus on movement first, they have you spinning your wheels, working harder than you need to, and never really balancing the body for optimal fitness and safety. The Dailey Method helps you work smarter.

I feel their description is vague, but I can’t offer much more detail myself. I was too busy grimacing and engaging my core to have the brain cells to come up with a coherent description of this particular brand of torture.

What I Wore: A slim-fitting tank top, leggings, and socks

The website said to wear tight-fitting clothing so the instructor could ensure your body was in proper alignment. The website also said socks were required. When I arrived, the instructor said we could be barefoot or in socks. I chose barefoot, partly because I didn’t want my feet to slide, and partly because my birthday pedicure still looks great. Some girls wore toe socks.

What I Brought: A bottle of water

The water was nice to have, but not necessary. I was glad I remembered deodorant, but I certainly wasn’t sweating during class. You might say I broke into a light mist. No equipment was necessary. A floor mat and a resistance band were provided.

Who Was There: 20 year-old girls, one of their moms, and me.

If it weren’t for one of the girls’ mom I would have been the only person there, beside the instructor, who was of legal drinking age. This is not typical of The Dailey Method, from what I have heard, however. I went to a free class at Athleta. Boulder’s TDM Studio, on the other hand, has childcare on site, and has a reputation for being inclusive of all ages and body types.

Pros:

The teacher gave a lot of instructions and she was very hands-on, coming around to each person and adjusting our bodies, and offering verbal cues to each person, as needed. I liked the music and the 60 minute class flew by. I especially liked the fact that I was working my core the whole time, including my back. And despite not getting hot and sweaty and disgusting it was really freaking hard. There were a lot of moves that were so hard I had to stop and take a quick break. Also, I did things to work my triceps that I never even knew you could do. I was sufficiently sore the next day to make me feel like it was a worthy use of my precious hour.

Cons:

I didn’t break much of a sweat. This might not matter to you, but I really crave the feeling of damp clothes clinging to my body and the prospect of wrestling my sports bra off while the shower gets hot. I’m weird, I know. Also, it was distracting to work out in a retail space. It was hard not to salivate over $98 leggings and hoodies while I was supposed to be planking.

Will I Go Back?

I will definitely go back. I have another free class at Athleta on my calendar for this coming weekend and I intend to try the Dailey Basics class this Thursday evening at their studio. If I still like it, I will probably buy the Groupon they are running if it is still available. It grants you a month of unlimited classes for $51.

Typically, if I go to a class, I like classes with a strong cardio component, like spin class, Body Pump, or bootcamp. But, given my injuries, I realize that something needs to change, as far as my fitness routine (or recent lack thereof) if I’m ever going to consistently run again.

Ever since the beginning of December, I’ve had a very hard time motivating myself to work out. First there was the fact that we had just returned home from a week out of town and I felt discombobulated, trying to unpack and hit the grocery store and go through all of the mail. Then Lady Bug got sick, and has been waking up in the night coughing, sniffling, and calling for me for over a week, which has given me an excuse not to wake up extra early to squeeze in a workout. Plus, it’s super dark and cold, which makes me want to hibernate. All of that combined with the fact that I’m not running while I wait for this glute thing to sort itself out, and therefore have no races scheduled to light a fire under my butt, means my motivation is in the toilet.

So actually, now that I am taking (yet another) break from running, it’s the perfect time to try something new.

Stay tuned. If I jump in on that Groupon and start going to this class regularly, I will let you know how it goes.

The post Workout Wednesday: My Preliminary Thoughts on The Dailey Method appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

When Scott Schumaker asked me to review his recently released children’s book, Henry’s Big Star Adventure, I did not hesitate to say yes. Although it’s a mid-grade book (for kids ages 6-10), I knew it would be fun to read to Sweet Pea, my 3.5 year old, who has been listening to Dan read financial and tech blogs since before she could talk. (Recently, she announced, “I like listening to girl music, boy music, and podcasts!” (Though I have made some questionable parenting decisions in the past and probably will continue to do so in the future, I can assure you we’ve never listened to Serial together.)

Henry’s Big Star Adventure did not disappoint. This book had everything- adventure, suspense, and gorgeous, playful illustrations. As we followed Henry on his journey through the galaxy to retrieve his lost stars, we held our breath to see how he would manage the perils that met him at every turn. Despite his fear of the seemingly insurmountable challenges he faced, he took every opportunity to leap through the unknown to continue his quest for the lost stars.

Through Henry and his friends, we learn about the importance of strength, courage, friendship, and forgiveness- lessons that all readers, young and old, will appreciate.

I am thrilled to give away a copy of Henry’s Big Star Adventure to one lucky winner. To win, just leave a comment, telling me one of your favorite children’s books before midnight (Mountain Standard Time) Sunday December 20th. 

The post Book Review and Giveaway: Henry’s Big Star Adventure appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

If I’d relied on the internet to bring me love, I’d probably still be waiting. When I met Dan I was active on two dating websites. I had my search criteria set up to bring me just the kind of man I thought I wanted to marry. I had some Deal Breakers, and Dan violated  nearly all of them.  I wouldn’t have been interested in him if I’d just seen a thumbnail photo of him on a screen. Instead, I randomly met him in a bar, and saw right away that he had an adorable smile, a huge heart and a beautiful soul, my “dating requirements” notwithstanding.  I’d love it if you’d click over to Your Tango to read My Husband is They Man I Didn’t Know I Needed!! (Note: I wrote this piece way before I knew he planned to give me the ultimate kick in the pants to become an author, by publishing my book!!!)

The post I Thought I Knew What My Type Was… Until I Met my Husband appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

Not long after Dan and I met, he said, “It would be so fun to publish a book of your best blog posts.”

I said, “Yeah!”

And then after I thought about it some more, I said “No!”

Dan kept bugging me about it, and I kept saying no, and after a while he started threatening to just do it anyway. But Dan is really busy earning a living for the four of us, updating his online CSA directory (check out farmshares.info!), writing his own e-book (do you know what cross-platform mobile apps are? I don’t. I proofread his book anyway), digging in our garden, teaching Sweet Pea to ride a bike, and taking insanely long baths, among other worthy pursuits, so I never thought he would actually do it.

He said he had something up his sleeve for my birthday. I thought it was maybe diamond earrings.

But no. My husband went and published a book for me. It’s made up of what he considers my best blog posts, professionally copyedited. It has a pretty, professional-looking cover. It has a foreword by the lovely, talented Joelle Wisler of Running From Mountain Lions. It has blurbs on the back written by writers Ann Imig (the creator of Listen To Your Mother), Michele Mariani Vaughan (owner of A Storybook Life), and Stephanie Sprenger (blogger at Mommy For Real and editor of The HerStories Project).

Here is what happened when the surprise was unveiled:

PS Don’t all 37 year-old women wear cupcake jammies and open gifts in bed at the dawn’s first light on their birthday?

Click on the picture to see what happens when Dan surprises me with the Best Birthday Present Ever

After I got over the initial excitement, I freaked out. Now what? Would I try and sell this book? Would anyone care? What if they didn’t? What about the fact that I would have done it a little different if I’d been in charge? What about the fact that actually I wouldn’t have done it at all if I were in charge? What about the fact that I’d be winging everything about selling a book? And was it too late to add a dedication page?

Dan told me to relax. He said that if I only printed copies for my parents that would be ok. He said I could do whatever I wanted with it, or nothing at all. And that I should at least read it before I freaked out any further. That night I stayed up well past midnight reading the book, and almost made Sweet Pea late for school finishing it the next morning. Is that weird? It’s not like I didn’t know the plot.

So… I’m scared and I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing but I’m going to go for it anyway. Which is actually, the basic gist of the book and it’s how I try to live my life.

You can buy it through my e-commerce site.  BUY THE BOOK

The book is also available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble (both in print and as an e-book), and for order at your local independent bookstore.

The post The Story Behind There’s No Room for Fear in a Burley Trailer appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

I ran the Newman YMCA Turkey Run 5k on Thanksgiving day in Seekonk, MA. It was my first race after I spent the better part of this year injured and unable to commit to any running beyond a 30 minute run-walk. I have felt really crazy over the past few weeks, mainly due to normal (and not-so-normal) life stuff, like holiday travel, a multi-pronged celebration of my 37th birthday, and Dan being sick. So my goal is to write this blog post in less time than it took me to run the race! I even set a timer on my i phone. [Author’s note: I tried really hard but failed. I was 99% done with the a draft when my timer rang.]

I tried to get someone to run the race with me, but failed. My sister is pregnant and was hosting Thanksgiving, my entire family was staying at her house, and her preferred forms of exercise are Zumba or a Jillian Michaels DVD so I didn’t even ask her. Dan was recovering from said sickness plus I needed him to watch our kids, so I didn’t ask him either. I invited my dad to walk the 5k which he pretended to consider for about 1.5 seconds. My brother practically laughed at me when I asked if he’d be interested. It did not occur to me to ask my mom or my brother-in-law. I think perhaps I was adopted.

I didn’t want to wake up and do it, but I never want to wake up and do anything, so that was par for the course. Normally I adhere strictly to my pre-race breakfast of instant oatmeal, water, and coffee, but I decided to switch things up this time and eat a mixture of various cereals I found in my sister’s pantry. This break from tradition was largely due to the fact that I recently weaned Lady Bug, and therefore have license to eat anything I want, her (many) allergies notwithstanding. My sweet reunion with brie cheese, ice cream, eggs, pizza, and the luxury of eating freely at social functions deserves its own blog post. I wasn’t sure if the breakfast was best for me as an athlete, but for me as someone who loves to eat, it was definitely the right thing.

The day was freezing cold. I could tell who the serious runners were because they were wearing teeny shorts, tank tops, and arm warmers. I can’t imagine any reason to dress like this in the dead of winter, aside from sending the clear message, “I am fast.” But even then… We will all know they run fast when we see them disappear into tiny specks in the distance before we hit the first mile mark. I ran into a friend at the start line who I had not seen in years. Like, we ran together before I moved to Colorado, when I was single, and that felt like another lifetime ago. He looked the same, only older. I guess he must have felt the same way about me.

I warmed up for just over a mile before the gun went off. The course was flat, with few turns. I hadn’t run remotely hard in months, so I had no idea what kind of pace I should expect. Although I wore my fancy Tom Tom, I didn’t even look at my pace. I set it to display time elapsed and focused solely on my perceived effort level, rather than my pace. My goal was to keep an even effort, to go as hard as I could, and to not blow up before the finish line. I passed the first mile mark at 7:16. This had three possible meanings:

I was in better shape than I thought

I was going to have to walk or vomit before I got to the finish

The course was short.

I hoped for the first. Shortly after the first mile, the 10k runners stayed straight, while the 5k took a hard right. After I turned, the crowd thinned considerably, but I could tell I was near the front. Just how many women were ahead of me, I couldn’t tell. I focused on the horizon, taking in the pine trees and gray sky ahead of me, feeling thankful that I was outside, breathing fresh air, and racing again after so much time off. I hit the second mile mark at 14 something and started to feel more confident that in fact, I was in better shape than I thought. I did some math, which was hard because all the blood was in my legs and not my brain, but figured out that I should be able to get the race done in less than 23 minutes if I could maintain this pace. I decided that when my watch hit 20 minutes, I would run as fast as I possibly could through the finish line.

Around the 19 minute mark, I could hear someone breathing on my right shoulder. It sounded like girl breathing but I couldn’t be sure and I didn’t want to look over my shoulder. That would possibly cause me to trip and would also let her know I cared, which I did not want to do. Every few telephone poles or so, I would surge in an attempt to drop her, but she kept on matching my effort. After a few of these efforts, I tried again, and successfully dropped her. It was then that I gave a quick glance over my shoulder and saw, indeed, she was a girl, and I was probably out of the danger zone, unless she was planning a sneak attack. She was running out of real estate fast, though, as we neared the final turn.

We turned into the YMCA parking lot, and from there, the route continued onto a dirt path. I looked up and saw the first two numbers on the clock were 22. I was elated. I’m not sure the last time I ran a 5k in under 23 minutes. (It’s also been about five years since I ran a 5k at sea level).

My finish time was 22:35, which earned me fourth woman and first in my age group. That’s a 7:16/mile pace. I was very pleased with that, especially given my lack of focused training. (Also, it is such a treat to run at sea level, as fas as free speed. Although it’s not exactly free to travel in an airplane for four hours with an overtired 18 month old on your lap. And on the floor. And walking in the aisle 500 times). In the month or two preceding the race, I ran 3-4 miles about four to five times a week, often on the treadmill, generally at an easy pace, with no structured (or unstructured) intervals or hill work of any kind.

The post Race Report: 2015 Newman YMCA Turkey Run 5k appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

Babies cry. Breast pumps don’t.

Babies are cute. Breast pumps aren’t.

These are among the various factors you may consider if you are ever lucky enough to be in a position to choose between taking along a nursling or a pump as your air travel companion. I’ve broken down the pros and cons of each option using the most rigorous of scientific methods. I would love for you to join me over at Sammiches and Psych Meds, where I discuss my results and conclusions.

The post Breast Pump vs Actual Baby as Travel Buddy: A Scientific Review appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.

Every time I take my kids grocery shopping, I return with a week’s worth of food and a lifetime’s worth of regret. Every time, I search my soul for an answer to the question: Why didn’t I do Home Shop?

Last week, I took the kids shopping after picking my three-year-old up from preschool. I had 80 minutes to before we had to be home for lunch. In my mind, it seemed totally reasonable.

I arrived at preschool pick-up a couple minutes early. When Chloe saw me she pronounced, “I wasn’t expecting you.” We were off to a great start.

As we walked to the car, she took off running.

“I need you to get in the car, please.” I called.

In response, she threw herself into leaf pile.

We did not have time to frolic.

“Get. In. The. Car. Please.”

She burrowed deeper into the leaves as I scooped her into the car. She strained against me. Fury bubbled up in my chest. Just breathe, I told myself. I was just breathing, buckling her into her carseat, when she hit my arm.

Deep breathing could piss off. “WE. DON’T. HIT.”

I seethed as I made a detour for a proper time-out.

We did not have time for a time-out.

I directed her to an upside-down bucket in our garage, where she sat facing the wall, hands in her lap, for three minutes. I watched from the car as my “Happiness” podcast came over Bluetooth. Oh, irony is a clever bitch. Click here to read the rest on Scary Mommy. (PS Happy Thanksgiving!)

The post Angels Do Exist (at the Grocery Store) appeared first on Fitness and Running | Motherhood | Marriage | Whatevs Blog.